Hellebores

It is January and the garden looks dead and lifeless but as you start to clear away the last of the fallen leaves from the borders a hellebore is smiling at you!

Every garden should have hellebores. Despite their exotic appearance they are easy to grow in most soils and many produce beautiful droopy flowers in midwinter or early spring when there is precious little colour in the garden to cheer the spirit. Other species of hellebore have fine evergreen foliage.The flowers of some species resemble wild roses giving rise to their common names, such as "Christmas rose" and "Lenten rose", but hellebores do not belong to the rose family (Rosaceae). 

Hellebores are members of the genus Helleborus comprising approximately 20 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Many species are poisonous.The flowers have five "petals" (actually sepals) surrounding a ring of small, cup-like nectaries (petals modified to hold nectar). The sepals do not fall as petals would, but remain on the plant, sometimes for many months. The flowers are borne on upright stems above clumps of large, leathery, divided leaves.

Hellebores can be planted at any time but it is best to select plants in flower to ensure the colour is good and fits your planting scheme. Mature plants will self-seed freely; gently dig up seedlings in summer and transplant to other locations. Keep plant moist and remove faded flower stems at the end of spring. Remove the overwintered foliage as the flowers emerge; this helps to minimize disease and displays the flowers to best advantage.  There are hellebores for most conditions in a garden: Helleborus argutifolius and H. foetidus will thrive in dry shade while H. x hybridus may flower for up to four months in a moist, well drained fertile soil.

Helleborus orientalis subsp. guttatus has creamy white flowers with dark red spots inside; they are good for cutting. This species is tough and adaptable; tolerant of most sites, even dry shade, but grows best in moist neutral to alkaline soils. Good for winter colour in a shady shrub border. H. orientalis is very variable with greenish white flowers, aging to pink.

Helleborus foetidus, the "stinking hellebore" is an upright evergreen perennial forming clumps of dark green, deeply divided leaves, which smell unpleasant if crushed. It is a good foliage plant for awkward spots. The nodding, cup-shaped flowers, often with petals often edged with red, are borne in winter and early spring. Grows best on dry or damp, neutral to alkaline soil; looks stunning planted among snowdrops.

Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose,  has beautiful open, pure white flowers from December onwards. It is slightly trickier to grow and may diminish after a few years and need to be replaced. This hellebore prefers slightly chalky soil that does not dry out and should be heavily mulched with leaf mould in spring.